counterfeit

American  

[koun-ter-fit] / ˈkaʊn tərˌfɪt /

adjective

1. made in imitation so as to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; not genuine; forged.

   counterfeit dollar bills.

   Synonyms:

   bogus , spurious

2. pretended; unreal.

   counterfeit grief.

   Synonyms:

   ersatz , fake , mock , make-believe , pretend , feigned , sham

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noun

1. an imitation intended to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; forgery.

   Synonyms:

   sham , falsification

2. Archaic.  a copy.

3. Archaic.  a close likeness; portrait.

4. Obsolete.  impostor; pretender.

verb (used with object)

1. to make a counterfeit of; imitate fraudulently; forge.

   Synonyms:

   falsify , copy

2. to resemble.

3. to simulate.

verb (used without object)

1. to make counterfeits, as of money.

2. to feign; dissemble.

counterfeit British  

/ ˈkaʊntəfɪt /

adjective

1. made in imitation of something genuine with the intent to deceive or defraud; forged

2. simulated; sham

   counterfeit affection

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noun

1. an imitation designed to deceive or defraud

2. archaic  an impostor; cheat

verb

1. (tr) to make a fraudulent imitation of

2. (intr) to make counterfeits

3. to feign; simulate

4. (tr) to imitate; copy

Related Words

See false.

Other Word Forms

• counterfeiter noun
• counterfeitly adverb
• counterfeitness noun
• noncounterfeit adjective
• uncounterfeited adjective

Etymology

Origin of counterfeit

First recorded in 1250–1300; (adjective) Middle English countrefet “false, forged,” from Anglo-French cuntrefet, Old French contrefait, contrefet, past participle of contrefaire, contrefere “to copy, imitate,” equivalent to conter- counter- + fere “to make, do,” ultimately from Latin facere ( fact ); (verb) Middle English countrefeten, verbal derivative of countrefet

Example Sentences

The BBC found several websites on which counterfeit shirts of every Premier League club were being sold for as little as £12.

From BBC

Among them are the dangers posed by counterfeit products, it said, along with the “intense competition” from established companies and newcomers in the shoe market.

From New York Times

People who had become addicted looked for other sources and found them in illicit pills, which are often counterfeit, and other street drugs.

From Seattle Times

Examples of loss included the theft of high-end goods in the tech and retail sectors, while the pharmaceutical sector struggled with counterfeiting.

From Reuters

County has become a major fentanyl distribution hub for Mexican drug cartels, which push counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, often disguised to look like prescription painkillers.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bogus
• copied
• false
• fictitious
• forged
• fraudulent
• phony
• spurious